How to Make Fast Food at Home

McDonald's Big Mac
Ah yes, the one that started it all — the iconic Big Mac.

Credit: Lisa Cohen

Cinnabon's Classic Cinnamon Roll
It's hard to not to sidle up to a Cinnabon counter once the scent of those warm and sticky buns is wafting through the air.

Credit: Lisa Cohen

McDonald's Ranch Snack Wrap
The concept is simple: Take a crispy fried chicken tender, wrap it in a flour tortilla, and smother it in creamy dressing. Well, there are one or two things we're leaving out, but you get the gist.

Credit: McDonald's Corp.

Denny's Bacon Slamburger
What's in a name? Not much, but the Bacon Slamburger's sure is catchy. It also overflows with meat, hash browns, bacon, egg, and cheese. A winning (albeit artery-clogging) combination.

Credit: Denny's Corp.

Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Here's a little trivia for you: Did you know that the WBCB (yes, it has a nickname) comes in three sizes (single, double and the Six-Dollar version)?

Credit: CKE Restaurants

McDonald's Egg McMuffin
According to McDonald's executive chef Dan Coudreaut, the Egg McMuffin — that tasty and compact wedge of cheese, egg, and buttered toast — is only 300 calories.

Credit: McDonald's Corp.

Buffalo Wild Wings' Wings and Sauce
What makes these wings so special? The sauce.

Houlihan's Smashed Potatoes
I have fond memories of sitting at a Houlihan's booth, delighted at the mini-umbrella and plastic animals populating my drink. I was too young to see beyond my glass, but if I had, I'm sure I would have gobbled up these chunky mashed potatoes.

Credit: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Todd Wilbur knows his Red Lobster biscuit history — first, he explains, they were touted as the most searched-for clone on the Web, and then a recipe wound up on Bisquick boxes.

Credit: Todd Wilbur

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Admit it — you love a good cheeseburger. Or a steaming cinnamon bun drizzled in frosting. Or a miniature breakfast sandwich. Or all three. But maybe you feel a little shy about walking into a McDonald's or a Burger King or a Denny's because the market today is flooded with so many sustainably harvested, seasonal, macrobiotic food options, and everyone's on board with the trend. Or maybe you don't feel that way, but the craving for something stacked, juicy, and, chances are, overwhelmingly cheesy, strikes at the most inconvenient of times — say, when you're in your pajamas cuddled up on the couch and about to turn in for the evening. Suddenly, fast food doesn't seem so fast.

Whichever camp you belong to, we have the answer. To sate your appetite, we spoke with the experts — some of the major fast-food chains as well as those who are replicating (and occasionally putting a twist on) their recipes — about how to interpret the meals that have worked their way into our country's collective subconscious. Maybe you'll tweak one of these recipes to be a bit healthier, maybe you'll go the other way and decide to add your own creamy dressing as a topping, or maybe you'll stick with the tried-and-true original. After all, it's a proven recipe for success. Just ask your taste buds.